Screen door latch



gwd

Jan. l, 1957 Q A. ELL@ 2,776,157

SCREEN DOOR LATCH Filed July 8. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l i uw L m L INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 1, 1957 c. A. ELLIS 2,776,157

SCREEN DOOR LATCH Filed July 8. .1954 2 Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNHB United States Patent SCREEN DOOR LATCH Charles A. Ellis, Hamden, Conn., assignor to Sargent &

Copaly, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connec cu Application July 8, 1954, Serial No. 441,986

4 Claims. (Cl. 292-126) This invention relates to door latches, and more particularly to a latch mechanism of relatively simple construction such as may be conveniently used in connect-ion with screen door-s, for example.

- It is desirable that latch mechanisms of this character be of relatively light weight and that they be simple in construction and economical to manufacture. It is equally desirable that they be so constructed that they may be mounted upon the door with a minimum amount of labor.

It is contemplated by the present invention to provide a door latch of this character wherein the latch and handle mechanism is supported by one of the escutcheon plates so that no latch case is required. Also it is contemplated that the parts will be so constructed that the mechanism may be applied to the door by the provision of a single opening or bore through the door which will contain a considerable part of the latch structure.

It is also contemplated to provide a latch mechanism of the character described which shall be provided with an integral handle member of substantially U-shaped form which extends through the opening provided in the door so that it may be engaged and operated from the inside and also from the outside of the door. Additionally it is desirable to provide a simple and relatively inexpensive means, at the inside of the door, for locking or dogging the handle mechanism against operation from the outside, and this is also a feature of the present construction.

One object of the present invention is to provide a door latch mechanism of simple and economical construction for light doors such as screen doors.

A further object of the invention is to provide a door latch of the character described which will be simple in construction, eicient in operation, and which at the same time may be mounted upon the door with a minimum of effort.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a door latch of such construction that it may be readily mounted upon a door in a single bore or opening through the door, the ends of the opening being covered by escutcheon plates, one of which serves as the support for the handle 'and latch mechanism.

A lstill further object of the invention is to provide a door latch mechanism of the character described with means at the inside `of the door for dogging the handle mechanism against operation from the outside.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a latch mechanism embodying my invention shown applied to a door;

Fig. 2 is a face view of the latch mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts of the latch in a different position;

Fig. 5 is an inside view of the inner escutcheon plate of the latch mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is an inside view of the outside escutcheon plate.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown in the drawing a latch mechanism in position upon a door shown in dotted lines at 10 in Fig. l, which doorcooperates with a door jamb shown at 11. A strike plate 12 is mounted upon the door jamb, the strike plate being provided with a latch-engaging strike member 13 which cooperates with the latch to be hereinafter described.

The latch mechanism comprises an inside escutcheon plate 14 and `an outside escutcheon plate 15. The inside escutcheon plate serves to support the handle and the latch member of the mechanism, and for this purpose a pair of spaced bracket members 16 and 17 are secured to or formed integrally with the escutcheon plate 14, as shown more especially in Figs. 2 Vand 6.

Secured in the bracket members 16 and 17 is a pivot pin 1S, and pivotally mounted upon this pin is a handle member of substantially U-shaped form, this member being provided with a body portion 19, an inside grip member 2i), and an outside grip member 21. This handle member is integrally formed and swings about the pivot 18 as a unit.

The body portion of the handle member is recessed as shown at 22 between the escutcheon plates and within this recess a spring 23 is coiled about the pivot pin 18, one end of this spring acting against a shoulder 24 on the bracket 17 secured to the escutcheon plate and the other end acting against a shoulder 25 at the inner end of the recess in the handle member. It will be seen that with this construction the spring 23 tends to urge the handle member in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 1.

The inside escutcheon 14 is provided with an opening 26 through which the handle member extends, and the spring 23 tends to maintain the handle against the front wall of this opening, as shown in Fig. 3. The opening 26 is somewhat elongated in a horizontal plane so as to permit the handle to swing about its pivot from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4.

Secured in the bracket members 16 and 17 is a second pivot pin 28 which, as shown, is disposed forwardly of the handle pivot 18. Pivotally mounted on the pin 28 is a latch member 29, this latch member also extending through the opening 26 in the escutcheon plate 4and having a nose 30 adapted to engage the strike member 13 to hold the door in closed position. This latch member is of relatively small thickness, as shown in Fig. 2, and is adapted to lie within a shallow recess 31 in the handle member so that the upper -surface of the latch member will be substantially flush with the upper surface of the handle. At its outer end this latch member is provided with a lug 32 adapted to engage a shoulder 33 on the handle member at the outer end of the recess 31.

Surrounding the pivot 28 is a coil spring 34, one end of which acts against a boss 35 on the latch member while the other end acts against a shoulder 36 on the handle at the outer end of the recess 22. It will be seen that this spring tends to urge the latch member in a clockwise'direction about its pivot and, therefore, tends to maintain the lug 32 against the shoulder 33, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The spring 34 is of somewhat lighter construction than the spring 23, and it will be noted that the construction shown permits the latch member 29 to swing in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot independently of the handle member, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Therefore, when the door is closed, the inclined surface 37 of the nose 30 will engage the strike member 13 and the latch member will be cammed inwardly against the tension of the spring 34, thus permitting the door to close without movement of the handle member against the stronger spring. 23. When the door has reached its closed position, the spring 34 will moveA the latch member outwardly in position to engage the strike, as'shown in Fig. 3.

When it is desired to'open the door, the handle member may be pushedk toward the door from the inside or the handle member 21 will be' pulled away from the door from the outside, either operation serving to move the handle ina counterclockwise direction about its pivot i3 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4. While, asabove described, the latchmember 29 is carried by the escutcheon plate rather than by the handle member, nevertheless movement of the handle member in a counterclockwise. direction, as shownf in Fig. 3, will disengage the latch member from the strike 13 owing to the engagement of the shoulder 33 on the handle with the lug 32 of the latch member.

The outside escutcheonplate 15 is also provided with an elongated opening 39' to permit the handle member to pass therethrough and to swing about its pivot. A plate i0v of relatively light material may be slidably mounted at the inner surface of this escutcheon plate, as sho-wn in Fig. 7, this plate being held in guide lugs 41 formed integrally with the escutcheon. The plate di) is provided with an opening 43 of substantially the dimensions of the handle member in cross section so that the handle member will tit fairly snugly in the opening in this plate but the movement of the plate will permit the handle to swing about its pivot. Thus the opening 39 will be eifectively closed to prevent any tampering with the latch from the outside.

It is desirable to provide means at the inside of the door for locking the handle member against operation, and to this end a locking slide 44 of substantially L-shaped form is mounted at the inside of the inner escutcheon, the latter being provided with a recess 45 to receive this slide. The slide is held in place by a bowed spring member 46 which urges the slide against the inner face of the escutcheon plate, the spring having a relatively broad upper end 47' secured in place by ears 4S peened over from a rib 49 on the escutcheon plate and the outer rim 50 of thisplate.

The locking slide 44 has a relatively broad lower end 51 which is adapted when the slide is moved upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 5 to engage rearwardly of a shoulder 52 on the handle formed on the handle member. The slide is guided in its movements between the inner edges of lands 53 and 54 formed integrally with the escutcheon plate and providing between them a recess for the slide. The upper enlarged portion of the spring rests upon these lands and is` held upon them by the ears 48;

The slide is provided with an operating knob 56 which extends through a vertically elongated opening 57 in the escutcheon plate so that the slide may be moved from the lower full-line inoperative position shown in Fig. 5 to the upper locking position shown in dotted lines in this ligure. A boss 58 is provided upon the outer face of the slide (Fig. 6), this boss being adapted to engage in an opening 59 in the escutcheon plate when the slide is in its lower position and to engage in the opening 57 when the slide is in its upper position so that the slide will be releasably held by the spring in the position to which it may be moved. When the slide is moved by the button 56, the latter may be pressed inwardly slightly against the tension of the spring 46 to release this boss from thc opening in which it lies.

ln mounting the latch mechanism upon the door a single bore 60 may be provided in the door, and the assembly of the inside escutcheon handle and latch member is applied to thel door with the outside handle 21 being inserted: through thek openingy 60.y The escutcheon may then: be secured' in place by suitable fastening members l. A door` latch mechanism comprising an escutcheon plate adaptedtcbe mounted-upon a door, a pairot spaced bracket members carried by the plate and adapted' to extend inwardly w-ithin an opening inthe door, a pair of pivot pins secured to said bracket members and extending therebetween, ahandle member pivoted upon one of said pins in the space between said bracket members, a latch member pivoted upon the other of said pins in the spacebetween saidbracket members, and a coil spring mounted uponieach'of said pins within said space, one4 of, said springs actingupon the handle member to urge it in.

a forward direction, and the other of said springs actingupon the latch member. to urge it in a forward direction,

and interengaging means on said latch member and handle member whereby the latch member moves with the handle` when the latter is moved rearwardly.

2. A door latch mechanism comprising an escutcheon plate adapted to be mounted upon a door, a pair of spaced bracket members carried by the plate and adapted to extend inwardly within an opening in the door, a

handle member pivoted to said bracket members between. the same andextending outwardly from the pivot point throughv an opening in the plate, said handle member having a recess at one lace thereof, a latch member disposed in said recess and having a part extending beyond the handle member, said part being pivoted to said spaced bracketv members at a point spaced from the pivot of the handle member, a pair of coil springs mounted between said bracket members, one acting between one or" the bracket members and the handle member and the other between one cf the bracket members and the latch member to urge saidmembers in a forward direction, and interengaging means on said latch member and handle member whereby movement of the latter in a rearward direction will move the latch member iny a rearward direction.

3. A door latch mechanism comprising an escutcheon plate adapted to be mounted upon a door, a pair of spaced bracket members carriedby the plate and adapted to extend inwardly within an opening in the door, a handle member pivoted to said bracket members between the1 same and extending outwardly from the pivot point through an opening in the plate, said' handle member having a recess at one face thereof, a latch: member disposed in' said recess and having a part extending beyond they handle member, said part being. pivoted tosaidspacedbracket-v members at a point spaced' from. the pivot of the handle member, a' pair of coil springsv mounted between' said bracket members, onel acting between one of the bracket members and' the handle member and the other between one of the bracket members andy the l'atchmember to urge said members in a forward direction, interengaging means on said' latch member and handle member whereby movement of: the' latter in a rearward direction will move the latch member in a rearward direction, said intercngaging means comprising a lug upon the' latch member' at a point remote from its pivot, anda shoulder on the handle member adjacent the recess therein with which said lug is engaged.

4. A latch mechanism as in claim 2 wherein a locking slide is provided` to engage the handle member andV hold it against movement, the escutcheon plate is provided' with a: guideway' within. which said slide is movably mounted, and a bowedsprjng is secured. to thefescutcheon References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS DeVoe Oct. 10, 1933 6 Irwin Oct. 29, 1946 Anderson Nov. 22, 1949 Holland May 30, 1950 Fraim May 27, 1952 Falk Apr. 28, 1953 Erkkila Sept. 28, 1954 

